April 16, 2008	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 9, 1429

TEHRAN, April 15: Iran would “eliminate Israel from the global arena” if it was attacked by the Jewish state, the deputy commander of the army warned on Tuesday, amid an intensifying war of words between the two foes.

“We are not worried by Israeli manoeuvres, but if Israel takes such action against the Islamic Republic of Iran, we will eliminate it from the global arena,” Mohammad Reza Ashtiani was quoted as saying by the Mehr news agency.

His comments come a week after Israeli National Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer warned that any Iranian attack against Israel “would lead to the destruction of the Iranian nation.”

Ashtiani, whose comments were also reported by the official IRNA news agency, was speaking at a news conference ahead of Iran’s national army day on Thursday when a major military parade is expected in Tehran.

“As the President (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) has said, we have a great motivation to defend the frontiers of our country,” he added.

“In the case of any action by Israel, we are ready to eliminate it from the global arena.” Israel last week held a five-day exercise codenamed “Turning Point” simulating air and missile attacks on cities, including by non-conventional weapons, the biggest drill of its kind ever carried out.—AFP